Kristina chose to run in Iran as a way to challenge her own prejudices against the country. Prior to her adventure, all she knew about Iran was what she learned from Western media coverage. “Today I feel like ‘Muslim’ has become synonymous with ‘terrorist’ or ‘fundamentalist’. There are around 1.5 billion Muslims around the world, and I’m guessing most of them are really nice. With this run I want to question my own prejudices, learn more about a culture I know little about and meet a lot of people. I hope my run will contribute to more openness, trust and tolerance both within myself but also in the world.”

In this trailer, we see Kristina preparing for her trip, wondering what exactly she’s getting herself into, recognizing the dangers and realities that may be waiting for her as a lone woman running in Iran. But 58 days and 1144 miles later, a different Iran appears.

More on Kristina: In addition to crossing Iran, she also ran the 3262 km long route from Istanbul in Turkey to Tenhola in Finland, then paddled 493 kilometers from Tenhola to Stockholm. She has climbed Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside the Himalayas with 6962 meters to the summit. Kristina also holds two world records for running – 322.93 km in 48 hours on the treadmill and 107.49 km in 12 hours on the treadmill.

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